Instagram is a popular social media platform that lets users connect, share photos, and engage with friends, family, and influencers. However, while Instagram offers many features to help users discover new content and people, it can also sometimes show suggestions for accounts you may not want to follow or connect with. If you’re looking for privacy or simply want to limit the people Instagram Follower suggests to you, knowing how to turn off Discover People on Instagram can be helpful. This research will help you step by step on how to do that, along with a few extra tips to maintain your privacy on the platform.
What is Discover People on Instagram?
Before we dive into how to turn off Discover People on Instagram, let’s first understand what this feature is. Discover People is a section of Instagram that suggests users for you to follow. These suggestions are based on several factors such as:
- Instagram followers you have in common with others.
- People who are in your contact list (if you’ve synced your contacts with Instagram).
- Accounts with similar interests to the ones you already follow.
Instagram goal is to help you discover new accounts, people, or topics that you might enjoy or that align with your interests. While this feature can be useful for finding new accounts, not everyone wants Instagram to suggest random people based on this data.
If you’re uncomfortable with Instagram suggesting random users to follow, you might want to learn how to turn off Discover People on Instagram. Thankfully, there are ways to manage this.
Why You Might Want to Turn Off Discover People on Instagram
There are several reasons why you may want to turn off Discover People on Instagram:
Privacy:
You might not want Instagram to access your contacts or suggest people you don’t know personally.
Less Clutter:
If you prefer to keep your Instagram suggestions relevant to your interests, turning off Discover People might help.
Limit Suggestions Based on Friends:
If Instagram is showing suggestions based on mutual friends or Instagram followers, and you don’t want that, disabling the feature can help keep your feed more private.
No matter your reason, Instagram does offer options to reduce or remove these recommendations.
How to Turn Off Discover People on Instagram: Step-by-Step
Here how to turn off Discover People on Instagram and limit unwanted suggestions:
Open Instagram and Go to Your Profile
Start by opening the Instagram app on your phone or tablet. Tap your profile picture in the bottom-right corner to go to your profile page.
Access the Menu
Once you’re on your profile page, tap the three horizontal lines (also known as the hamburger icon) in the top-right corner to open the menu.
Go to Settings
From the menu, scroll down and select “Settings” at the bottom. This will open the settings page where you can adjust various options related to your Instagram account.
Select Privacy
In the Settings menu, tap on “Privacy.” This section includes all the privacy settings for your account, including who can see your posts, who can comment, and more.
Manage Connections
Scroll down until you see the “Connections” section, where you’ll find options like “Activity Status,” “Followers,” and “Contacts Syncing.” The option you’re looking for is “Contacts Syncing.”
Turn Off Contacts Syncing
Under “Contacts Syncing,” you’ll see an option to “Connect Contacts.” If you want to stop Instagram from using your contacts to suggest new accounts, toggle off this option. This will prevent Instagram from showing people you know based on your contacts.
By doing this, Instagram will no longer suggest accounts based on the people in your contact list, which is a great way to turn off Discover People on Instagram.
Additional Steps to Further Limit Discover People
If you want to go further in customizing your Instagram experience, here are a few extra steps you can take to limit or turn off Discover People on Instagram:
Adjust Your Activity Status
Instagram allows people to see when you’re active or recently active. This can sometimes make your account show up in suggestions for others, even if you don’t want it to. You can Turn Off Discover People on Instagram.
To adjust your activity status:
- Go to “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Activity Status.”
- Toggle off “Show Activity Status.”
This will prevent others from seeing when you’re online and might reduce unwanted suggestions.
Disconnect Third-Party Apps
Sometimes, third-party apps you’ve connected to your Instagram account may influence suggestions. Instagram may suggest people based on your activity with these apps. Disconnecting apps that access your Instagram account can help improve your privacy.
To remove third-party apps:
Go to “Settings” > “Security” > “Apps and Websites.”
Under the “Active” tab, review and remove any apps you no longer want connected to your account.
Restrict or Block Unwanted Accounts
If Discover People is still showing suggestions based on certain accounts you don’t want to interact with, you can restrict or block these accounts.
- To restrict an account, go to the profile of the user, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and select “Restrict.”
- To block an account, follow the same steps, but choose “Block” instead.
- Blocking accounts prevents Instagram from suggesting them or their followers to you.
Adjust Your Interests
Instagram occasionally suggests accounts based on your interests, such as hashtags you follow or posts you like. By adjusting your interests, you can prevent Instagram from using this information for suggestions.
Tap on a suggested account or content that doesn’t interest you.
Click the three dots next to the post and choose “Not Interested.”
This helps refine Instagram suggestions based on your preferences.
How to Improve Your Privacy on Instagram
Now that you know how to turn off Discover People on Instagram, here are a few extra tips to further protect your privacy:
Make Your Account Private
Making your account private is one of the easiest ways to ensure that only the people you accept as Instagram followers can see your posts and stories.
To make your account private:
Go to “Settings” > “Privacy.”
Toggle on “Private Account.”
Once your account is private, only your approved followers can view your posts, and new followers will need your approval to see your content.
Limit Who Can Comment on Your Posts
If you’re concerned about unwanted engagement, you can also limit who can comment on your posts.
To adjust comment settings:
Go to “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Comments.”
You can choose to allow comments from everyone, people you follow, or only your followers.
Be Mindful of Shared Information
The less personal information you share on your profile, the less likely Instagram will make unwanted suggestions based on your details. Review your bio, website link, and other personal details to ensure they’re as private as you’d like them to be.
Knowing how to turn off Discover People on Instagram is essential for users who value their privacy and want to limit the amount of unsolicited suggestions they receive. By adjusting settings such as contacts syncing, activity status, and disconnecting third-party apps, you can take control of your Instagram experience and make sure that only the people you want to connect with show up in your suggestions. Additionally, remember to keep your account private and review your privacy settings regularly.